Fix You
by Rai Lockhart
Summary: It's been six years since that day. I know I can never fix you, but that sure as hell doesn't mean I won't try. One Shot. Inorific.


**A/N: Okay, so I wrote a new oneshot instead of writing a chapter. Heh... Don't hate me? I'll get a new chapter for as many stories as I can once we get out of school, but until then, I'm kind of swamped. We get out on Friday, btw. ao, I hope you like THIS ONE SHOT! 8D Read and review.**

It had been six years since that day.

I made my way through the cheerful streets of the village I had lived in my whole life, watching as shopkeepers and ninja prepared for the annual Sakura Festival.

The Festival of Peace.

And while I was glad to go to this festival each and every year to celebrate the day that the war between our village and the ninja Pein ended, I just couldn't help but feel the pain associated with the name. The festival's namesake… well, nevermind. No one wants to hear of the past, right?

But I wasn't walking through the town to admire the beauty of the coming festival; I was walking toward the Hokage's office for another purpose.

He had sent me a letter, hand delivered by his top ANBU agent, asking me to come back. He was asking me to come back to the profession of being a ninja, and I felt that I had to answer him face-to-face, because the letter's we'd been writing to each other and the notes that I left didn't seem to get my answer through to him.

"Ino!" I twisted my head around, and spotted the dark haired jounin who had called my name.

"Oh, hey there, Shikamaru," I said with a small smile. He just shoved his hands into his pockets and looked up at the sky. Even his 21-year-old self still had the same habits of a fifteen year old.

"Enjoying the festival preparations?"

I paused for a second, looking around at all the cheery pink and green that was being put up. "No, not really. The Sakura Festival never really was my type of party." I was hoping that he would drop the matter altogether, and leave, but he didn't. Typical Nara, can't pick up on a thing.

"What brings you up here, then? You usually avoid the area near Hokage Manor at all costs," he asked lazily, still staring up at the sky.

"I've got to go respond to something Naruto sent me about a mission that I would be just _perfect_ for," I said. Shikamaru stopped, and grabbed my arm, causing me to stop as well.

"A mission? Does that mean you're going to be a ninja again?"

I looked him in the eyes, a small smile on my face. "No. I'm going to reject his offer, once a for all."

Shikamaru's eyes dropped to the ground, and he let go of my arm. I began to walk away, knowing that he would have to get in the last word.

"It's a waste, you know, you becoming a civilian and all."

I sighed. Predictable. "Yeah, so you've said."

"But I'm not the one you want to hear it from, right?"

I kept walking. I could tell that Shikamaru didn't follow me, that he had turned to go back to wherever he came from.

Hokage Manor was coming into my line of sight for the first time in what felt like years. With a small ping in my brain, I realized that it _had_ been years since I had last been on this side of town, looking up at the tall building which one housed Tsunade-sama and her favorite apprentice, Sakura. My gaze hardened, and I had half a mind to turn back and jut write Naruto a nice little note that I refused his mission.

But no, even if my days of being a ninja were over, I was still extremely headstrong. Anyway, I had a feeling that they both would need to see me today.

The climb up the steps of the building felt like they would go on and on. I was passed by ninja who were much younger and a few years older, all looking at me with curious eyes. They knew who I was. They wondered what I was doing here. I just passed them, not smiling or saying a word.

I entered into the opening, walked down the hall, and came face to face with a closed door that I swore to myself those six years ago that I would never, ever see again. The door that I had run into many times, hoping to come see the woman who taught me all of what I now know about medical jutsu, or racing up my one and only best friend rival.

My hand shook as it moved toward the knob, and I took a deep breath. I could almost feel someone's ears perk up on the other side as I slowly opened the door, and walked inside. My light blue eyes met with his cerulean colored orbs, and he smiled. Standing over to the right of us was his personal ANBU guard, his old teammate, Sai.

"So, you've come to accept my offer?" But I could tell by the look in his eyes that the depression was hitting him just as hard as it hits me, even today.

I shook my head. "No, Hokage-sama, I don't think that I can accept any offer you will ever give me. I make a good enough living off of my flowers."

"Ino…" he ran a tanned hand through his hair. "You're the best medical ninja we have left in this village. You've got some of the best information gathering tactics of any person… You'd b a great asset to any team."

"Flattery will get you no where. You know that, Naruto." But I knew he meant it.

Because on this day, six years ago, we won a great battle for all of Konohagakure and for all the ninja nations, yet it never felt like a victory for any of us. We lost our great Hokage-sama, Tsunade, in the fight. With her last breath, she declared Naruto Hokage. He fought, working to destroy the ninja that was trying so hard to capture him.

She was just healing people, making sure that as many ninja from our side stayed alive. It came down to the last day of fighting, and Naruto was having a tough time defeating him. Pein went in for the final blow, ready to knock him out, get the demon, and leave him for dead. But she stepped in the way, to save him, like she was always doing. She was always saving people. Sakura died that day, killing both herself and the last Pein. I remember watching her as she dived in front of Naruto, sending her fist through Pein's heart, and letting her own be destroyed.

I gave up my life as a ninja immediately. Naruto did what he had to do, but he's always been broken on the inside. So has Sai… They took her death harder than her parents, even harder than I did.

I could feel the gazes of two great fighters bearing down on me. "You still haven't answered, Ino," he said, looking at me.

"No, Naruto, I cannot accept this mission. I have my own mission, right here." His eyes lit up, and he looked at me as if seeing me for the first time once more.

"And what might that be?"

My gaze drifted quickly from his face to the outside world.

"Come on, you two. The Sakura festival is starting," I pointed out, holding out a hand to both Naruto and Sai. Sai moved forward cautiously as Naruto rose from his chair, and they both came to my side. I linked my arms through theirs, and walked through the door and out into the village.

I could never fully be a perfect replacement for Sakura. That's the reason why I don't want to become her replacement as a ninja.

But that doesn't mean that I won't fulfill something she told me as we worked together healing the injured in those last days.

"Hey, if something happens to me, take care of them, okay?" I didn't even have to ask to know who she meant.

"Same thing goes for me, okay? I think Shikamaru might kill himself if he loses someone else too soon," I said, grinning a bit. Sakura just smiled, and we returned to our duties.

I know that I can never fill the deep gorges in their hearts left by her death. But that doesn't mean I sure as hell can't try.

**A/N: Kind of NaruIno, I know. Well, not really. Halfway inspired by the song "Fix You" by Coldplay, but notreally. It came to me while I was thinking of writing an Avatar fanfic. As you can see, it morphed into NaruIno. OH OH OH! Have you guys ever seen Vampire Knight?!! It's AMAZING! I was reading the manga, and then I watched the whole series in a day. Well, give or take a few hours. I LOVED it. I love Zero so much. *hearts* Oh, yeah, story... Um, read and review. **


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